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Section A: Relational Database Concepts & Design Fundamentals (8
questions)
Q1: In the relational model, which of the following best describes a domain?
A. The physical location where the database server is stored
B. A set of valid values that an attribute can take, defining the data type and constraints
for that attribute [CORRECT]
C. The primary key of a table
D. A relationship between two tables
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A domain defines the set of permissible values for an attribute, including data
type (INT, VARCHAR, DATE) and any constraints (CHECK constraints, ranges). It is not a
physical location (A), a primary key (C), or a relationship (D).
Q2: A relation contains the attributes: StudentID, StudentName, Major, AdvisorID,
AdvisorName, AdvisorOffice. Which attribute combination represents a superkey?
A. StudentName only
B. StudentID only [CORRECT]
C. Major only
D. AdvisorOffice only
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: A superkey is any set of attributes that uniquely identifies each tuple (row).
StudentID uniquely identifies each student and is therefore a superkey (and also a
candidate key and primary key). StudentName (A) may have duplicates; Major (C) and
AdvisorOffice (D) are not unique identifiers.
Q3: Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes entity integrity from
referential integrity?
A. Entity integrity ensures no duplicate rows exist; referential integrity ensures all foreign
key values match primary key values in the referenced table [CORRECT]
B. Entity integrity ensures all foreign key values match; referential integrity ensures no
null primary keys
C. Entity integrity and referential integrity are the same concept
D. Entity integrity applies only to weak entities; referential integrity applies only to strong
entities
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Entity integrity requires that no primary key attribute be null (ensuring each
row is uniquely identifiable) and no duplicate primary keys exist. Referential integrity
ensures that every foreign key value either matches a primary key value in the
referenced table or is null. Option B reverses the definitions; C is incorrect; D incorrectly
limits their application.
Q4: In relational algebra, which operation produces a relation containing all tuples from
two relations that appear in both relations?
A. UNION
B. INTERSECT [CORRECT]
C. DIFFERENCE
D. PRODUCT
, Correct Answer: B
Rationale: INTERSECT returns only tuples that exist in both relations (set intersection).
UNION (A) returns all tuples from either relation; DIFFERENCE (C) returns tuples in one
relation but not the other; PRODUCT (D) is the Cartesian product (all possible
combinations).
Q5: The system catalog (data dictionary) in a relational database management system
(RDBMS) stores:
A. Only user data records
B. Metadata about the database structure, including table definitions, column names,
data types, constraints, and relationships [CORRECT]
C. Only backup files
D. Only transaction logs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The system catalog (information schema in SQL standards) stores
metadata—data about the database structure, including tables, columns, data types,
constraints, indexes, views, and privileges. It does not store user data (A), backups (C),
or transaction logs (D).
Q6: Which relational algebra operation is used to select specific columns (attributes)
from a relation?
A. SELECT (σ)
B. PROJECT (π) [CORRECT]
C. JOIN (⋈)
D. DIVIDE (÷)
Correct Answer: B